MAC grants River Campus nearly $40,000

Southeast Missouri State University has been awarded nearly $40,000 from the Missouri Arts Council. Each department at the River Campus will be putting this money towards either concert series, guest artists or art exhibitions.

The council, a state agency and a division of the Department of Economic Development, is dedicated to the growth, development and appreciation of the arts in Missouri and provides over $6.5 million a year to non-profit organizations throughout the state.

"Research shows that students that participate in higher levels of art education in and out of school have higher test scores, higher attendance rates, lower dropout rates and higher disciplinary action," said Beverly Strohmeyer, executive director of the MAC.

Strohmeyer credits this as one of the big reasons why the council funds so many non-profit organizations. This year the state agency funded 308 out of the 321 organizations that submitted applications.

"They tell us what they're planning to do with the money and that's what they're supposed to do with the money," Strohmeyer said.

According to Strohmeyer, the amount of funding any organization receives is based on its requested amount, the amount of artistic quality, community involvement and management ability and the amount of money the council has to distribute.

Peter Nguyen, director of the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum, said typically the museum will ask for the maximum amount of money they need for the year.

This year, the museum received a grant over $12,000 that will be divided to defray the costs of touring and local exhibitions at the museum.

"Even though it's not the max amount [the museum asked for], it does help us with what we need for the museum in terms of shipping costs, advertising, post cards and programs that will go with the exhibits," Nguyen said. "Whatever we do get from the art council, we do appreciate."

The Department of Music and the Department of Theatre and Dance also received major funding from the MAC. Over $15,000 was awarded to the music department to support the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra's annual concert series, which presents a wide range of programming, including several world and national premieres and high-caliber guest artists.

Over $8,000 was awarded to the theatre and dance department to bring in nationally recognized costume designer Bill Black and lighting designer R. Dean Packard for the department's performance of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

A monthly amount of nearly $2,000 was also awarded to the theatre and dance department to underwrite the residency of Adam Sage, a choreographer and the artistic director for the Missouri Ballet Theatre. Sage will host an open audition for students and will direct master classes and rehearsals for a week at Southeast.

In addition to departments at the River Campus, the Southeast Missouri State University Press was awarded $2,000. This money will be used to support the "Big Muddy" literary journal, which highlights works focused on the Mississippi River Valley.